Windshield wiper for an automobile comprising advanced means for articulating the wiper blade on said windshield wiper

ABSTRACT

A windshield wiper, in which an element of the frame of the wiper blade is articulated on the end of a wiper arm by a connector that is articulated on the frame. The connector includes a substantially inverted U-shaped front body which overlaps onto the center part of the hinge of the frame, such that the longitudinally sliding connector is accommodated in the front end of the arm. The connector includes a lock mechanism that locks in a longitudinally direction in relation to the arm. The connector also includes a retaining rod extending vertically with clearance through a hole that is dead center with the center part of the hinge of the frame element.

BACKGROUND

This invention concerns a motor vehicle windshield wiper comprisingadvanced means for articulating the wiper blade on a wiper arm.

This invention concerns more specifically a motor vehicle windshieldwiper, of the type in which a wiper blade is articulated at thelongitudinal front end of a wiper arm, around a transversal horizontalaxis, via a connector that is articulated on the blade.

According to a known conception of the mounting articulated on a bladeat the end of an arm, the connector is fit together elasticallyaccording to the radial direction on an articulation rod of the bladeand the front end of the arm is longitudinally curved in order to form ahook in which the connector, once mounted on the blade, must belongitudinally inserted from the rear to the front.

For reasons of rigidity and compact size of articulation, but also foraesthetic questions, the connector is generally received between twolateral flanks of the blade that are linked via the articulation rod. Inthat way, the front end of the arm must also be received between theflanks of the arm, the front of the connector in relation to the bladein order to allow the insertion of the connector in the hook of the arm.

Such a mounting, if it presents reliability guarantees, reveals itselfto be particularly delicate to perform and imposes that the bladepresents, in the front of the articulation rod, an opening placed in anupper back of the blade in order to allow the insertion of the front endof the arm. Such an opening remains at least partially visible after themounting of the blade on the arm.

A conception has already been proposed in which the articulation meansof the blade on the arm allows an easy mounting and removal of theblade, even by a person who is not experienced. In effect, the vehicle'sowner is encouraged to regularly change their wiper blades and must beable to proceed through this operation in the simplest way possible.

Moreover, the wipers being visible parts on the exterior of the vehicle,it is desirable to give them an aesthetic character, while avoiding asmuch discontinuity in the form as possible.

A windshield wiper of the type described above was thus proposed, inwhich the connector comprises articulation means that are carried viatwo parallel, longitudinal, vertical flanks between which the blade isreceived, in which the flanks are transversally spread opposite eachother towards a mounting position in order to allow the articulatedmounting of the connector on the blade then are returned towards anarticulation position in which the articulation means of the connectorwork with the complimentary means of the blade, and in which the flanksof the blade are received between two lateral flanges of the end of thearm that block the flanks of the connector from spreading transversallyfrom their articulation position towards their mounting position.

The connector comprises a front body that is in the shape of anupside-down U in cross-section and which straddles the blade and thusthe two flanks stretch towards the rear.

The connector is received by longitudinal sliding into the front end ofthe arm, and the connector comprises means for assuring its lockingaccording to the longitudinal direction in relation to the arm. To thiseffect, the flanks of the connector are received via longitudinalsliding, each respectively in two holes defined by the internal sidesopposite from the two lateral flanges of the front end of the arm andwhich are unblocked towards the front, and the connector is insertedlongitudinally from the front to the rear between the lateral flanges.

The front end of the arm comprises an upper transversal back that joinsthe two flanges, the connector comprising an elastic tongue that reacheshorizontally towards the rear when the front body to which it is linkedby it front end forming a hinge with a horizontal axis, the tonguereaches opposite from an interior side of the back of the end of thearm, the tongue comprises a boss that is received in a correspondingaperture formed in the upper back of the arm in order to longitudinallyblock the connector in relation to the arm, and the boss is susceptibleto be retracted towards the bottom via pivoting the elastic tongue inorder to free the longitudinal blockage from the connector in relationto the arm.

SUMMARY

The invention concerns an improvement to a wiper of this typespecifically allowing the guarantee that the different pieces reside atleast partially linked between them in case of a rupture of differentparts of the means of articulation of the wiper blade on the wiper arm.

With this goal, the invention proposes a wiper of the type in which theconnector comprises articulation means that are carried by two parallel,vertical, longitudinal flanks between which is received a centralarticulation part of the mounting element, of the type in which theconnector comprises a front body that is the shape of an upside-down Uin cross-section and which straddles the central articulation part ofthe mounting element and the two flanks that reach towards the rear inrelation to the front body, of the type in which the connector isreceived via longitudinal sliding in the front end of the arm, and ofthe type in which the connector comprises the means to assure itsblockage according to the longitudinal direction in relation to the arm,characterized by the connector comprises a holding rod that reachesvertically with play across from a hole formed opposite in the centralarticulation part of the mounting element.

According to other characteristics of the invention:

the free lower end of the holding rod comprises a holding beak in orderto keep the connector vertical, with play, in relation to the mountingelement;

the holding rod is received longitudinally with play in the hole formedin a vertical slit with a longitudinal orientation;

the front end of the arm comprises an upper transversal back, theconnector comprises an elastic tongue that reaches horizontally towardsthe rear while the front body to which it is linked via it front endforming a hinge with a horizontal axis, the tongue reaches opposite froma lower face from the lower back of the arm, the tongue comprising aboss that is received in a corresponding aperture formed in the upperback of the arm in order to longitudinally block the connector inrelation to the arm, and the holding rod reaches vertically from thelower side of the tongue of the connector;

the boss is susceptible to be retracted towards the bottom via pivotingof the elastic tongue in order to free the longitudinal blocking of theconnector in relation to the arm;

the front end of the arm comprises a rear abutment that, in the mountedposition of the arm on the wiper blade, reaches opposite from a abutmentsurface oriented towards the front and that is formed opposite from anexternal lateral side of the mounting element;

the flanks of the connector are received between two lateral flanges ofthe front end of the arm, and the rear abutment is made up of a rearedge of a lateral flange;

the surface of the abutment oriented towards the front is a front edgethat longitudinally marks a portion in relief of the external lateralface of the mounting element;

the portion in relief is vertically defined towards the top by an upperedge with a longitudinal orientation and inclined in order to make aguiding ramp of the front end of the arm during the mounting of thelatter onto the connector;

the connector is inserted longitudinally from the front to the backbetween the lateral flanges of the front end of the wiper arm;

the flanks of the connector are spread transversally away from eachother towards a mounting position in order to allow the articulatedmounting of the connector on the central articulation part of themounting element then are led towards an articulation position in whichthe articulation means of the connector cooperate with the complementarymeans of the mounting element, and the flanks of the mounting element ofthe blade are received between two lateral flanges of the end of the armthat prevent the flanks of the connector from spreading transversallyfrom their articulation position towards their mounting position;

the flanks of the connector comprise two lugs notably cylindrical with ahorizontal axis that reach away from each other while the sides oppositethe two flanks, and which are designed to be received in thecorresponding orifices of the sides of the central articulation part ofthe mounting element while the flanks are in the articulation positionin order to assure the articulated mounting of the connector on theblade.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear in thereading of the detailed description that follows, for the comprehensionof which one should refer to the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a spread perspective view of the principal components of awiper according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a lateral view of the wiper on which all of the components ofFIG. 1 are illustrated in a mounted and assembled position;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section view on a vertical median plane of the wiperof FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an exterior view similar to that in FIG. 2 that illustratesthe front end of the wiper arm during the mounting on the connector;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to that in FIG. 4 on which the wiper arm isillustrated with a longitudinal cut and in a preceding positionillustrating its guiding on the mounting element; and

FIG. 6 is a view in a bigger scale of a cross-section of the wiper inFIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the description that is going to follow, one will use, in anon-limiting basis, the terms horizontal, vertical, upper, lower, front,rear, etc. in reference to the Figures in order to facilitate thecomprehension and the reading of the claims.

Represented on the Figures is a wiper 10 comprising a wiper blade 12that is designed to be mounted articulated around a transversal axis A1,horizontal in the Figures, at the longitudinal front end 14 of a wiperarm 16.

The wiper presents symmetry in relation to a vertical and longitudinalmedian plane P.

To this effect, a connector 18 is planned that is mounted articulated ona central articulation portion 20 of a mounting element in the shape ofa principal stirrup 22 of the blade 12 and that is designed to be fixedto the front end 14 of the arm 16.

As one can see in the Figures, the central articulation part 20 of themounting element 22 comprises two longitudinal, lateral flanks 24 thatare notably parallel and that are each provided with a circular orifice26 of the axis A1. The two flanks 24 are joined by an upper back 28 anda longitudinal orientation slit 30 is equipped in the upper back 28 atthe level of the connector 18.

The connector 18 comprises a front body 32 that presents, incross-section, an upside-down U shape comprising two lateral and notablyparallel branches 34 and an upper transversal branch 36 notablyhorizontal. The front body 32 is designed to straddle the centralarticulation part 20 of the mounting element 22 of the wiper blade 12.

From a rear transversal face 38 of the front body 32, two parallelflanks 40 reach longitudinally towards the rear in the extension of thevertical branches 34 of the front body 32. The flanks 40 are the shapeof plates that reach in a vertical plane and are parallel to each otherin a free state. However it is possible, via elastic deformation, tospread the flanks 40 transversely away from each other with the verticalbranches 34.

The flanks 40 are joined between them, in proximity, at their rear endsvia an upper transversal support 41 that reaches notably in the samehorizontal plane as the upper transversal branch 36.

The prolonged vertical branches 34 by the flanks 40 each carry, on aninternal face 44 turned in the direction of the opposite flank (see FIG.4), a cylindrical lug 46 that reaches transversally according to theaxis Al in the direction of the opposite flank 40. In the free state,the internal faces 44 are spread away from each other at a distancenotably equal to the transversal length of the central articulationportion 20 of the mounting element 22.

In this way, in the free state, the cylindrical lugs 46 are susceptibleto be received in the circular orifices 26 of the flanks 24.

However, while the flanks 40 are transversally spread away from eachother (notably by elastic deformation), the lugs 46 are removed from theorifices 26 such that the connector 18 can be inserted or removedaccording the vertical direction in relation to the mounting element 22.

Of course, it is planned that the lugs are carried by the blade 12 andare received in the orifices placed in the branches 34 of the connector18.

It is notable that it is planned that there is sufficient space betweenthe upper back 28 of the mounting element 22 and the upper transversalbranch 36 of the front body 32 of the connector 18 in order to allowsufficient clearance in rotation of the connector 18 in relation to theblade 12.

The branches 34 prolonged by flanks 40 of the connector 18 are designedto be received in the interior of the front end 14 of the arm 16 in sucha manner that the end 14 prevents all transversal spreading of thebranches 34 prolonged by the flanks 40. Thus, while the connector 18 ismounted on the blade 12 and is inserted in the front end 14 of the arm16, the lugs 46 cannot be inserted in the orifices 26, which preventsall dismounting of the connector 18 in relation to the blade 12.

To this effect, the front end 14 of the arm 16 comprises two verticallongitudinal flanges 48 that are joined by an upper transversal back 50and between which the branches 34 prolonged by the flanks 40 of theconnector 18 are designed to be received.

The transversal flanges 48 interiorly mark the opposing lodgings 52opposite from each other notably in the same shape as the branches 34prolonged by the flanks 40 in such a way that they can be introducedthere longitudinally from the front to the rear. The lodgings 52 aredefined vertically towards the bottom via the ledges 53 that reachtransversally towards the interior by thus preventing all movement ofthe connector 18 other than a simple longitudinal sliding.

Preferably, the front end 14 of the arm 16 and the mounting element 22are conceived in such a manner that their respective lateral externalfaces are arranged in the extensions of each other in order to assurethe aesthetic continuity between the arm 16, the front end 14 of whichmasks the connector 18 while this latter is longitudinally receivedbetween the flanges 48.

As one can see in FIG. 5, while the blade 12 is mounted on the arm 16,each branch 34 extended by a flank 40 of the connector 18 istransversally inserted between a side 24 of the mounting element 22 anda flange 48 of the arm 16, without the possibility of movement and thuswithout the possibility of the uncoupling of articulation.

One has elsewhere planned the means allowing the longitudinal blockingof the connector 18 to the interior of the front end 14 of the arm 16.

Advantageously, these means allow an easy unblocking in order to allowthe replacement of the blade 12 when it is used up.

With that in mind, the connector 18 contains a tongue 56 that is, forexample, created in the shape of a horizontal plate element, and thatreaches longitudinally towards the rear, notably in the extension of theupper transversal branch 36 of the front body 32 of the connector 18.The front end 58 of the tongue 56 forms an axis hinge notably horizontalfor the tongue 56.

While the connector 18 is inserted in the front end 14 of the arm 16, anupper face 60 of the tongue 56 is opposite a lower face 62 of the uppertransversal back 50 of the front end 14.

On this upper face 60, the tongue 56 comprises a boss 64 that isreceived in an aperture 66 formed in the upper back 50 of the arm 16 insuch a way as to longitudinally immobilize the connector 18.

However, an upper surface of the boss 64, that passes by the exterior ofthe end 14 of the arm 16, allowing the pushing in of the boss 64 towardsthe interior across the aperture 66 making the tongue pivot 56, to goagainst its elasticity, around its front end 58. Thus it is possible toremove the boss 64 from the aperture 66, which allows the longitudinalremoval of the connector 18 towards the front outside of the front end14 of the wiper arm 16.

The assembly of the wiper unit 10 comprises the following steps.

The connector is first mounted on the blade 12 by spreading the flanks40 of the connector 18 transversally away from each other in such a wayas to be able to insert the connector 18 vertically from the top to thebottom straddling the central articulation portion 20 of the mountingelement 22 of the blade 12.

Then the blade 12 and connector 18 unit is longitudinally inserted fromthe front to the rear on the interior of the front end 14 of the arm 16in such a way that the branches 34 extended by the flanks 40 of theconnector 18 are received in the lodgings 52 defined by the flanges 48of the front end 14.

During this operation, it is necessary to wipe the boss 64 towards thebottom. This can be achieved by giving the upper face of the boss 64 asloping shape inclined towards the back and towards the rear.

When the boss 64 arrives longitudinally opposite from the aperture 66 ofthe arm 16, the tongue 56 elastically returns to its free position inwhich the boss 64 is received in the aperture 66, preventing alldisplacement towards the front of the connector 18, and thus of theblade 12, in relation to the arm 16.

Conforming to the specifications of the invention, the wiper comprisesmeans for increasing the reliability of use of the wiper, notably incase of the rupture of certain elements in order to keep the wiper blade12 on the wiper arm 14, 16.

With this goal, the connector 18 comprises a vertical holding rod 70that reaches from the lower face 72 of the tongue 56 in the direction ofthe central articulation portion 20 of the mounting element 22, in theinterior of which it reaches to the slit 30 in the lower back 28.

The holding rod 70 is received with longitudinal play in the slit 30 insuch a manner as to allow, in normal use, functioning withoutinterference of the rode with environmental elements.

The lower free end 74 of the rod 70 is shaped as a holding beak or hookwhich reaches longitudinally towards the rear opposite from a portion ofthe lower face 29 of the back 28 but with significant vertical play in amanner to, in normal use, allow functioning without interference of thebeak 74 of the rod 70 with environmental effects.

Moreover, each flange 48 of the front end 14 of the wiper arm 16 isdefined longitudinally towards the rear by an abutment edge 76, with avertical orientation that, in the mounted and assembled position of thewiper arm on the connector 18 and on the wiper blade 12 reachesopposite, with slight longitudinal play, from an abutment edge belongingto the mounting element 20.

More precisely, the lateral external face of each flank 24 of themounting element 22 comprises a part in relief 77 forming a thicker partthat is longitudinally defined towards the front by a vertical frontabutment edge 78 and vertically towards the top by an upper edge 80inclined in relation to the general longitudinal direction of themounting element 22.

In case of rupture of the push button 64, that is to say the tongue 56,the mounting element cannot longitudinally escape outside of the wiperarm 16, 14 because the abutments 76 cooperate thus with the abutments78.

The holding rod 70 of the button 64 also keeps the mounting element 22and it prevents, thanks to the holding beak 74, the button 64 and thetongue 56 from vertically escaping.

In case of rupture of the two pins 46, the holding rod 70, like thepreceding, holds the mounting element 22 longitudinally and if theholding rod breaks, it is the cooperation of the abutments 76 and 78that intervene to hold the mounting element 22 in relation to the wiperarm 16, 14.

The inclined shape of the upper edge 80 of the thicker parts 77 assure,as one can see in FIG. 5, the guiding ramp function of the front end 16of the wiper arm 14 in such a manner as to position this front partdirectly in line with the connector 18 carried by the mounting element22 in order to facilitate the final mounting of the wiper arm 14 on thewiper blade 12, 22.

In addition the upper edge 80 can be slightly curved convexly in orderto allow the mounting whatever the angular orientation of the wiper arm14, 16 in relation to the mounting element 22.

However, in order to avoid in normal functioning the efforts andrepeated shocks of the rear part of the button 64 in the window oraperture 66, each vertical branch 34 of the front body 32 of theconnector 18 comprises, at its lower front end, a vertical pin 82 thatis received in a corresponding notch 84 formed at the front free end ofthe corresponding edge 53 of the flange 48 of the front end 16 of thewiper arm 14.

In summary, the present invention is a motor vehicle wiper in which amounting element belonging to a wiper blade is articulated at the frontlongitudinal end of a wiper arm, around a transverse horizontal axis,via a connector which is articulated on the mounting element, theconnector including articulation means carried by two parallel,longitudinal, vertical flanks between which is received a centralarticulation part of the mounting element, the connector furtherincluding a front body that has an inverted U cross-section shape whichstraddles the central articulation part of the mounting element suchthat the two flanks extend longitudinally in relation to the front body,the connector received via longitudinal sliding in the front end of thearm, the connector including means for assuring locking according to thelongitudinal direction in relation to the arm, characterized by theconnector includes a holding rod that reaches vertically with playacross an opposed aperture formed in the central articulation part ofthe mounting element.

What is claimed is:
 1. A motor vehicle wiper including a mountingelement belonging to a wiper blade articulated at a longitudinal end ofa wiper arm around a transverse horizontal axis via a connectorarticulated on the mounting element, the connector includingarticulation means carried by two parallel, longitudinal, verticalflanks for receiving therebetween a central articulation part of themounting element, the connector including a body having an invertedU-shaped cross-section straddling the central articulation part of themounting element such that the two flanks extend longitudinally inrelation to the body, the connector received via longitudinal sliding inthe longitudinal end of the arm, the connector including means forlocking against movement in a longitudinal direction in relation to thearm, characterized by the connector including a holding rod having ahook on an end thereof which is substantially orthogonal to the holdingrod, the holding rod extending vertically within an aperture formed inthe central articulation part of the mounting element, characterized bythe longitudinal end of the arm comprising an upper transverse back, theconnector including an elastic tongue extending horizontally toward theupper back of the arm and linked to the body at an end forming a hingewith a horizontal axis, the tongue including a boss received in acorresponding aperture formed in the upper back of the arm tolongitudinally lock the connector in relation to the arm, and theholding rod extending vertically from a lower face of the tongue of theconector.
 2. The wiper according to claim 1, characterized by the hookvertically holding the connector in relation to the mounting element. 3.The wiper according to claim 1, characterized by the holding rod beingextended through the opposed aperture formed in the mounting elementwhen the connector is attached on the mounting element.
 4. The wiperaccording to claim 1, characterized by the boss being susceptible tobeing slanted towards a bottom of the connector via pivoting of theelastic tongue in order to free the longitudinal locking of theconnector in relation to the arm.
 5. The wiper according to claim 1,characterized by the longitudinal end of the arm including a rearabutment that, in the mounted position of the arm on the wiper blade,extends opposite from a surface of an abutment formed on a lateralexternal face of the mounting element.
 6. The wiper according to claim5, characterized by the flanks of the connector being received betweentwo lateral flanges of the longitudinal end of the arm, characterized bythe rear abutment being made up of a rear edge of one of the lateralflanges.
 7. The wiper according to claim 1, characterized by theconnector being longitudinally inserted between the lateral flanges ofthe longitudinal end of the wiper arm.
 8. The wiper according to claim1, characterized by the flanks of the connector being transverselyspread away from each other toward a mounting position to allow thearticulated mounting of the connector on the central articulation partof the mounting element in an articulation position where thearticulation means of the connector cooperate with the mounting element,the mounting element being received between two lateral flanges formedon the longitudinal end of the arm for preventing the flanks of theconnector from transversely spreading from the articulation positiontowards the mounting position.
 9. The wiper according to claim 1,characterized by the flanks of the connector including two pins with acommon horizontal axis, extending inwardly toward one another frominternal faces of the flanks and in a direction opposite from two flanksformed on the longitudinal end of the arm surrounding the flanks of theconnector when assembled, the pins to be received in correspondingorifices of the central articulation part of the mounting element inorder to assure articulation of the connector when mounted on the blade.10. A motor vehicle wiper including a mounting element belonging to awiper blade articulated at a longitudinal end of a wiper arm around atransverse horizontal axis via a connector articulated on the mountingelement, the connector including articulation means carried by twoparallel, longitudinal, vertical flanks for receiving therebetween acentral articulation part of the mounting element, the connectorincluding a body having an inverted U-shaped cross-section straddlingthe central articulation part of the mounting element such that the twoflanks extend longitudinally in relation to the body, the connectorreceived via longitudinal sliding in the longitudinal end of the arm,the connector including means for locking in a longitudinal direction inrelation to the arm, characterized by the connector including a holdingrod extending vertically within an opposed aperture formed in thecentral articulation part of the mounting element, the longitudinal endof the arm including a rear abutment that, in the mounted position ofthe arm on the wiper blade, extends opposite from a surface of anabutment formed on a lateral external face of the mounting element, theflanks of the connector being received between two lateral flanges ofthe longitudinal end of the arm, the rear abutment being made up of arear edge of one of the lateral flanges, and the abutment surface beingan edge longitudinally defining a portion in relief of the lateralexternal face of the mounting element.
 11. The wiper according to claim10, characterized by the portion in relief being vertically defined byan upper edge with a longitudinal orientation and inclined to form aguiding ramp from the longitudinal end of the arm during the mounting ofthe arm on the connector.